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Fort Yukon man gets year in prison in child sex case

FAIRBANKS (AP) -- A Fort Yukon man charged with soliciting a 10-year-old boy for a sex act has been sentenced to a year in prison.

Stephan R. Englishoe, 52, faced charges of solicitation and assault for the May 10 incident in Fort Yukon.

On Thursday, he pleaded no contest in Superior Court to a reduced charge of third-degree attempted sexual abuse of a minor as part of a plea bargain.

The boy was riding his bicycle with a friend in Fort Yukon when he was grabbed by Englishoe, after which Englishoe made his offer for sex.

At the hearing, defender Paul Canarsky said Englishoe was intoxicated and the remarks were an insult rather than an offer.

''Kids in town tease (Englishoe)'' about his alcohol problems, Canarsky said. ''He was basically yelling back at the child.... This incident lasted maybe five seconds.''

Englishoe apologized for his conduct, pointing to problems with alcohol as a prime factor in his troubles with the law. ''I'm sorry about this incident,'' he said. ''I'd just like to get everything behind me.''